Hotel Overview

Great Experience

The hotel was beautiful and situated in a great location for what we wanted to do. The staff were... See full review

Paul P.

Jan 19, 2015

Great Experience

The hotel was beautiful and the staff were some of the friendliest people I have ever had help me.... See full review

Paul P.

Jan 19, 2015

Traditional Irish comforts with modern conveniences

O'Callaghan Mont Clare is situated on Merrion Square, one of Dublin's most impressive Georgian areas. The hotel sits next to the National Gallery and a quick walk to Trinity College and the shopping and nightlife of Grafton Street. Hit the weekend art market at Merrion Square, watched over by a statue of Oscar Wilde.Warm rooms feature dark wood, leather upholstery and wired broadband Internet. Enjoy breakfast in the tearoom with large windows overlooking the square. Later, visit popular traditional Irish pub, No. 1 Merrion Street Bar.

Highlights

Grand views of attractive Dublin's area brimming with traditional Irish character

Cozy rooms decorated in warm burgundies and wood accents

Home to No. 1 Merrion Street Bar, a traditional Irish pub and restaurant

Rooms

The hotel's74 rooms are equipped with plasma TVs, individual temperature controls and broadband Internet access (fees apply). Several rooms overlook the National Gallery. Each room has three telephones, tea and coffee station and a safe. Room service, concierge, laundry and dry cleaning are also offered.

Features

The O'Callaghan Mont Clare houses a restaurant and bar for guests. The No. 1 Merrion Street Bar is a classic Irish pub serving traditional Irish cuisine to locals and tourists. Goldsmith's Restaurant serves a breakfast buffet daily in a tearoom atmosphere with large windows overlooking Merrion Square. The hotel offers babysitting service and guests can use the health and fitness facilities of the O'Callaghan Davenport Hotel on the other side of the square. Parking is available for a fee.

O'Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel Rooms

Double and Twin Room

Room with one queen bed or 2 single beds. Approximately 20 square meters. Decor is traditional Irish with well-appointed soft furnishings and dark wood. Room includes air conditioning/personal safe/trouser press/cable TV/hairdryer/tea and coffee making facilities.

Amenities

WiFi

General

Concierge

Dining

Room service

Services

Conference facilities

Internet

WiFi

Nearby points of interest

Oscar Wilde House: 0 mi

National Museum of Archaeology and History: 0.1 mi

National Gallery of Ireland: 0.1 mi

Merrion Square: 0.1 mi

Leinster House: 0.1 mi

National Library of Ireland: 0.1 mi

State Heraldic Museum: 0.1 mi

National Musuem of Ireland: 0.2 mi

Dublin Institute of Technology: 0.2 mi

National Museum of Ireland: 0.2 mi

Natural History Museum: 0.2 mi

Royal College of Science: 0.2 mi

The Science Gallery: 0.2 mi

Science Gallery: 0.2 mi

Pearse Street: 0.2 mi

Oscar Wilde House: 0 mi

National Museum of Archaeology and History: 0.1 mi

National Gallery of Ireland: 0.1 mi

Merrion Square: 0.1 mi

Leinster House: 0.1 mi

National Library of Ireland: 0.1 mi

State Heraldic Museum: 0.1 mi

National Musuem of Ireland: 0.2 mi

Dublin Institute of Technology: 0.2 mi

National Museum of Ireland: 0.2 mi

Natural History Museum: 0.2 mi

Royal College of Science: 0.2 mi

The Science Gallery: 0.2 mi

Science Gallery: 0.2 mi

Pearse Street: 0.2 mi

Kildare Street: 0.2 mi

The Doorway Gallery: 0.2 mi

Taylor Galleries: 0.3 mi

Number Twenty Nine - Georgian House Museum: 0.3 mi

Dawson Street: 0.3 mi

Mansion House: 0.3 mi

The Douglas Hyde Gallery: 0.3 mi

Royal Hibernian Academy: 0.3 mi

The Duke Street Gallery: 0.3 mi

Weingreen Museum of Biblical Antiquities: 0.4 mi

Brown Thomas: 0.4 mi

Grafton Street: 0.4 mi

Famine Memorial: 0.4 mi

Fitzwilliam Square: 0.4 mi

Dublin Mall: 0.4 mi

College Green: 0.4 mi

Gaiety Theatre: 0.4 mi

The Keeling Gallery: 0.4 mi

Parliament House: 0.4 mi

River Liffey: 0.4 mi

Talbot Memorial Bridge: 0.5 mi

Westmoreland Street: 0.5 mi

Economic and Social Research Institute: 0.5 mi

The Dolls Store Hospital & Museum: 0.5 mi

Butt Bridge: 0.5 mi

University of Dublin: 0.5 mi

Grand Canal Theatre: 0.5 mi

Jeanie Johnston: 0.5 mi

Castle Market: 0.5 mi

Trinity Street: 0.5 mi

Dining

Restaurant

The Number One Bar is relaxing and comfortable in a traditional pub style. It has a very busy carvery lunch served daily and a lounge menu during the evening. The typical Irish pub feel is popular with residents and locals alike.

Hotel Policies

Check-in:

2:00 PM

Check-out:

12:00 PM

Terms and conditions

Rates quoted in currencies other than the hotel's base currency are subject to the rate of the international exchange. Rate may change throughout stay. Rate may reflect average nightly rate. Extra charges may apply. Incidental charges, such as room service, are not included in the rate.

The amenities and/or facilities may not be located at the hotel, but within a reasonable distance, and additional charges may apply for use.

romantic couple city break

I had read previous reviews on the internet, so i was prepared for the fact that the rooms were small, it was not very comfortable as one side of the bed was about a foot from the wall, and my husband found it difficult to move around. But we were still happy enough.
I asked at reception if there was a residents bar as, we have not been out together in ages and this was an important break from the kid. I was told it was 24 hours. yet when we came back at 1 am we could not get a drink, and the man in the bar would not look at us. He did not answer or look up from what he was doing. The man at reception finally got us a drink which we had to have up in our room cause the bar was closed. The police were in reception, but we were not told anything just shoved up to bed.

Trip purpose:

Small and noisy

We stayed in room 252, and we could hear every sound from the street below, including frequent busses and the pedestrian crossing light beeping all night long. The main room and closet were extremely small, and we were tripping over our suitcases. The bathroom was also small, with only enough space to hang 1 towel, even though the room was intended for 2 people. A simple towel hook on the back of the door would have been an easy fix. Wireless internet access was slow as molassses, unreliable, and expensive. The location was excellent, within walking distance to most of Dublin's main points of interest.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):

Amenities:

2

Cleanliness:

3

Hotel staff:

3

Comfort:

2

Location:

4

Value:

2

Trip purpose:

Business

Shopping tip:
Short walk from hotel

There is a large "Kilkenny" store about 4-5 blocks from the hotel, which had beautiful high-quality linens, crystal gifts, and pottery. We loved this store!

Nice place to stay but...

The hotel holds 50 Euro a night per room. I was staying for 4 nights, so 200 Euro total. The receptionist told me this AFTER he swiped my credit card. I am American so with the exchange of 38% that should have been about $280. The hotel ended up upcharging that to $617, which except for $100, was all the money I had for the days I was there. So unfortunately I ended up not able to do much of anything that I wanted to do. On my last day I was finally able to talk the receptionist into taking the hold off the money, but it was late, about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and by that time it was too late to do much sightseeing. I was very upset with the fact that they held so much of my money, especially without discussing it with me first!

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):

Amenities:

2

Cleanliness:

4

Hotel staff:

4

Comfort:

4

Location:

4

Value:

2

Trip purpose:

Business

Nightlife tip:
Short walk from hotel

The Blarney Inn up the street had great music, great Bulmers, and a lot of fun people!

Needs some loving care

While the Mont Clare is in a great location (Merrion Square across the street), it is beginning to show its age. It badly needs attention to address shabbiness. Also, its lobby is very small and not conducive to gathering or escaping the Dublin summer rains. The biggest problem is the staff. While attempting to be accommodating, they lack a lot of necessary knowledge--simple things like how do I get somewhere? What bus stops nearby? How do I get my WiFi connection to work? (Call IT) What are the hours/days the museums are open? What are the hours of the Department of Taoiseach (right down the street)? Is there airport express transport? -All of these were met with a shoulder shrug and in one case, eyerolling--not the greatest reception. Granted, they were mostly kids, but they should know better.
And hear this, Dublin: get some bus maps out there! They are not to be found.
Also, and I will continue to harp on this, is the fee-based Internet connection. Times have changed, and business travelers as well as holiday makers are using it more and more. It needs to be complimentary, and this trend is starting; however, not so with the Mont Clare. And there were problems getting WiFi to work. I complained so much about it that finally they did comp me for WiFI my 5-day stay.
A real delight, though, was the custodial folks. Mostly Eastern European young women, they were totally charming and welcomed any opportunity to practice their English. Apparently, this demographic has become more and more prevalent in the service industry, and they are delightful.
The shower curtain was really gross, but when I complained (because I have severe mold allergies), the staff replaced it quickly.
I may seem overly critical, but a hotel in this location could and should be a true 4-star. It has the potential, but it will take a lot of work and commitment.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):

Amenities:

2

Cleanliness:

3

Hotel staff:

1

Comfort:

3

Location:

4

Value:

3

Trip purpose:

Business

Money-saving tip:
Short walk from hotel

Do not miss the Sunday night show at the Brazen Head. Outstanding! Also, try the breakfast at the National Gallery. They start serving at 9 and the price is great. €5 for a hot breakfast that includes coffee/tea and toast. Much better than the hotel's €17. And the Gallery is 2 minutes down the street.

Great location marred by poor value

A friend and I spent two weeks in Ireland, and the Mont Claire was our base of operations for our last few nights in Dublin before our departure.
We arrived after a long night drive from the west coast. While the staff was nice about us coming in late, parking our car overnight would end up costing us €20, and the lot was a few blocks away.
While the decor won't win any awards, the room was clean and set up in a quiet part of the hotel.
The problem arose when we tried to access the hotel's WIFI: outrageously expensive. They wanted €15 for 250 KB of data. 250 *kilobytes*. That's barely enough data to sync one's email. Perhaps an internet connection isn't so high on the list of other travelers, but... dang.
Needless to say, we had to find some other way to stay in touch with our families.

First time visit to Dublin, or Ireland for that matter!

The O'Callaghan Monte Clare hotel, overall, was very pleasant for the 4 days and 3 nights we were in Dublin. The location was excellent we were within walking distance of everything!
Pros: Great Staff (we had an early flight and they were able to get us checked in by 9am which was wonderful), Comfortable Beds, Clean Room and Bathroom, Windows that open, Elevator. Air Coach from the airport stops super close.
Cons: No Wifi, unless you're willing to pay $$ for it. Almost no water pressure in the shower. Our window wouldn't close all the way. The carpet is getting old and the television wasn't always working. Food there is expensive I recommend walking around the corner and choosing one of the many cafes.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):

Amenities:

3

Cleanliness:

4

Hotel staff:

5

Comfort:

3

Location:

5

Value:

3

Trip purpose:

Business

Dining tip:
Short walk from hotel

The Kilkenny department store has a café on the top level. We only found this on our last day and I wish we had come across it sooner. The food is great and the price is awesome, one of the best deals we found in Dublin.
If you are looking for a pub The Gingerman is awesome and is located across the way from the O'Callaghan.

Central Location

Good location in Dublin, easy walking to attractions, traditional interior, lovely personnel, but small rooms and no internet access that worked reliably made it hard to work from the hotel. But decent for price. Irish don't use or provide face cloths (flannels) so bring your own if you're used to them.

Trip purpose:

Great price, good location

The hotel is conveniently located next to Merrion Square, about a 10 minute walk to some of the more popular sights in Dublin, Trinity College, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, and is across the street from one of the hop-on/hop-off bus stops. As has been my experience in Europe before, the room was quite small but was pleasant, clean, and accompanied by the standard amenities. The staff was pleasant and accommodating. I would stay at this hotel again.